A journalism student about to graduate and enter the job market recently shared on social media that she was nervous about the low-pay for her first job, wages that would be less than working at a big box retailer or at a restaurant. One of the veteran journalists in the social media group where she posted responded almost predictably with the same advice I was given decades … [Read more...] about ‘Financial hazing’ of new journalism hires ultimately hurts all of us
Opinion
‘Can you provide a definition of the word woman?’
Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson never could have expected to be asked that simple question – ‘what a woman is’’ - by Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) Jackson’s response was by turns puzzled, nervously amused and then lawyerly in saying no. She said she couldn’t define the word without knowing the legal context. The brief confrontation was one of those moments that can capture the … [Read more...] about ‘Can you provide a definition of the word woman?’
Local news outlets can help readers vet credible sources of information on invasion in Ukraine
This morning as soon as I woke up, I went immediately to search for news from Ukraine. It’s hard to imagine a more important, more devastating story gripping the world right now. It is not a local story for much of America, yet, and its significance is undoubtedly greater to those of us who lived through the Cold War. I spent much of my childhood with the possibility of war … [Read more...] about Local news outlets can help readers vet credible sources of information on invasion in Ukraine
Libel decision shut down segregationists clinging to Jim Crow
To understand why New York Times v. Sullivan is one of the great First Amendment victories of the past century, take a journey back to the segregated America of the1960s. America was a place where racial segregation and discrimination were the law of the land and a way of life in the South, Midwest and much of the North. Restaurants and hotels were segregated by law. … [Read more...] about Libel decision shut down segregationists clinging to Jim Crow
Missouri Gov. Mike Parson’s unconstitutional attack on the press
From afar, Missouri Gov. Mike Parson’s attempt to prosecute a St. Louis Post-Dispatch reporter looks like the folly of a vindictive politician who doesn’t understand computers or the First Amendment. But it is more serious than that. A governor trying to prosecute a journalist for reporting publicly available information poses a serious threat to press freedom. It’s … [Read more...] about Missouri Gov. Mike Parson’s unconstitutional attack on the press